Explorers Day Nursery
GoodBirth to 8+Open for decades
A day nursery in Southampton for children from birth to 8+, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022. Open since 2010, with 90 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Hampshire
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Hampshire from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
SO16 0ASWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 1 December 2022 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Children eagerly come into nursery excited to see their friends. They have strong bonds with their key person and beam with delight when they see them. This helps them to feel settled as they know their key person will provide reassurance and cuddles if needed. For example, very young children put their arms up for cuddles when they are feeling tired. Children are kind and thoughtful. They show high levels of empathy from a very young age. For example, very young children pat each other's shoulders to provide reassurance when needed. Older children offer solutions to help others when there are minor conflicts. For instance, when children want to play with the same toy, other children find toys that are similar and offer these as suggestions instead.
Children love looking at books, and staff frequently read stories to them. Children remember their favourite phrases and are keen to share. For example, they eagerly shout out, 'it's a squash and a squeeze' as staff read one of their favourite stories to them.
Children develop their independence skills through everyday routines. For example, children get themselves ready for their nap. They take their shoes off as well as clothing, such as jumpers. They put these in their own baskets before snuggling under the blanket.
What Ofsted told them to improve
To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should:
- strengthen ways to help children hear and practise using speech sounds so children who are ready for the next stage of learning make even more progress in their language skills n embed further the supervision processes for staff, to ensure that teaching of the highest quality is consistent across the nursery.
- 1 December 2022Good
- 1 June 2018Good
- 5 December 2017Inadequate
Rated Good or Outstanding at 2 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Explorers Day Nursery
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.